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Twenty Flight Rock
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"Twenty Flight Rock" is a song originally performed by Eddie Cochran in the 1956 film comedy The Girl Can't Help It, and released as a single in 1957. Cochran's biographer notes Cochran was granted a co-writer credit, but no royalties, a standard ego-salving arrangement between publishers and performers who popularize other writers' songs. The writer and sole royalty recipient, Ned Fairchild, is Nelda Fairchild, a pioneering female songwriter for whom "Twenty Flight Rock" is just one of a hundred songwriter credits, BMI records show.
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Encyclopedia
"Twenty Flight Rock" is a song originally performed by Eddie Cochran in the 1956 film comedy The Girl Can't Help It, and released as a single in 1957. Cochran's biographer notes Cochran was granted a co-writer credit, but no royalties, a standard ego-salving arrangement between publishers and performers who popularize other writers' songs. The writer and sole royalty recipient, Ned Fairchild, is Nelda Fairchild, a pioneering female songwriter for whom "Twenty Flight Rock" is just one of a hundred songwriter credits, BMI records show. Fairchild continues to perform and write in her 70s. She is the subject of a documentary due for 2008 release. Cochran's version was rockabilly-flavored, but artists of all genres would cover the song, including Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Heinz, Montrose, psychobilly groups Tiger Army and Zombie Ghost Train and Brazilians Coke Luxe version, "Vigesimo Andar"
"Twenty Flight Rock" was recorded by Cochran in July 1956 at Goldstar Studio, with Connie Smith on the bull fiddle and Jerry Capehart thumping a soup carton. Released in the United States (Liberty 55112) with "Cradle Baby" as a flipside, it was a moderate seller, but was more popular in Europe and had steady sales for a long period.
The song follows the twelve-bar blues format, using the device of counting upwards ("One flight, two flight, three flight, four/six flight, seven flight, eight flight, more") in the refrain in a manner similar to Rock Around the Clock. The lyrics end on a surprisingly morbid note relative to other pop music songs of the time.
The song triggered a significant moment in music history when the barely 15-year-old Paul McCartney used "Twenty Flight Rock" as his first song when he auditioned for John Lennon on July 6, 1957 in Liverpool, England. The 16-year-old Lennon was impressed by the young McCartney's ability to play the song on the guitar during their first official introductions at St. Peter's Church Hall prior to a church garden fete. The good first impression of McCartney's performance led to an invitation to join The Quarrymen - John Lennon's band that would eventually evolved into The Beatles. On The Beatles Anthology, McCartney noted that: "I think what impressed him most was that I knew all the words."
Cochran performing "Twenty Flight Rock" appeared in the film The Girl Can't Help It, as a tongue-in-cheek example of the supposed lack of talent required to perform rock and roll.
Covers
- The Rolling Stones on the album Let's Spend the Night Together released in 1984
- Tailgators on the album "Tailgators" released in 1990
- Lightnin' Willie and the Poorboys on the album "Lightnin' Willie and the Poorboys" released in 1994
- Pyromanix on the album "Searching for Rock el Roll" released in 1997
- The Tomcats on the album "Rock This Town" released July, 28, 1998
- Robert Gordon on the album "Live" released on May, 04, 2000
- The Bunch on the album "Rock On" released on September, 30, 2003
- Satellites on the album Mua Kiusaat Vain released on June, 20, 2006
- The Shuteye Train on the album "Rock and Roll with..." released on September, 11, 2006
- Dick Rivers on the album "The Rock Machine" released in 2008
Trivia
Although the title of the song implies that the singer must climb 20 flights of stairs, in actuality he would only need to climb eighteen or nineteen flights (depending on whether or not the building has a 13th floor) to reach the stated 20th floor.
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